Genea-Hero

Last month the 2014 president-elect of the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society sent an email to all members saying that he was going to be at the National Archives in Washington DC and that he’d be glad to do some research for others.  I thought how nice it was that he volunteered for this and then I thought how I really wanted to know which file I should order of a Civil War pension, as I have a name with two services.  Maybe he could see which was the right one so that I wouldn’t waste money on the wrong one.  But then I thought he’d be too bogged down with other people with more interesting items to find, so I threw away the email.

Then the next week, he sent another note that he was surprised no one had contacted him.  I felt sad for him and didn’t want him to go to the National Archives with nothing to do (!), so I sent him my dreaded Smith request.  Yes, the dreaded Smith.  But the first name was unique so I’d hoped I wasn’t asking too much. 

Well, my Genea-Hero not only found the right file, but copied it all for me!  I now have a CD of the entire pension file!  And it’s fascinating.

This is my husband’s second great grandfather on his father’s side.  My husband never met his father, nor new anything of his father’s side.  I found that his great grandmother was a Smith and her father was in the Civil War.  Twice (which is why there were two that I found and wasn’t sure who to order—they were the same person!).  He now knows that his 2^nd great grandfather was 5’7” tall, had a dark complexion, gray eyes and brown hair. 

He also knows that his grandfather contracted the measles in Kansas City, Missouri in 1861.  As did my 3^rd great grandfather.  Both rode St. Joseph’s Railroad at the same time.  Did they know each other?  Pass each other?  I’m still working a timeline for him, but he was captured by the Confederates in Little Blue, Missouri on 5 November 1861 and then discharged on 22 December that year and returned home (I assume as part of the release agreement).  He reenlisted on 15 August 1864 and was a sergeant until his discharge on 26 June 1865. 

His pension file mentions diseases of the heart, kidney and back as well as chronic diarrhea, all from the measles contracted in 1861.  Since my own grandfather’s pension file reads nearly exactly the same, except chronic cough rather than diarrhea, I am guessing that everyone maybe exaggerated their symptoms just a bit? 

I am sure that as I analyze his service timeline, I will be adding more writings about Kilbourn Smith (and we know know how HE spelled his first name, as his signature is nice and clear!).

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my Genea-Hero, Patrick!

Shopping Saturday: A Back to the Future Fall

From the Portsmouth Daily Times, September 30, 1915

     Kilbourne Smith, Sr, who is about 83 years of age, suffered a bad fall in front of the Canter grocery about four o’clock Wednesday afternoon.  He was sitting on a barrel when it broke in, the aged man falling to the cement sidewalk,  A gas was cut over his eye.  Henry Hans, in his automobile, moved him to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Orin Smedley, of Stewartsville.

Now, I’m not sayin’ it actually happened like this, but it could have…

Old Grampa Smith was sitting there in his usual spot outside of the grocery store.  Maybe smoking a pipe (that’s how I like to think of my husband’s 2^nd great grandfather- smoking a pipe).  Just sitting there gazing across the street.

I can’t show you a picture of Canter grocery because now it’s a Century 21 real estate office, but even by the front of the Century 21, you can see that it could be a cozy place to sit.  If there were barrels.

But here is what I’m thinking…  Grampa Smith was sitting there, pipe-smoking his own business, when suddenly, there was a flash from the future.  The space-time continuum became twisted and contorted, because, you see, across the street from the Canter grocery, a mere 2 generations later was... a comic book shop. 

I’m guessing that as Grampa Smith gazed through the pipe smoke the building flashed and changed momentarily.  Donning Superman and Batman standees.  Flashing neon advertising of an upcoming signing.  That sort of thing.  Because Grampa Smith is related to Husband Marc, he saw it; just as Husband Marc can smell a comic book shop or Toys R Us with his eyes closed and guide us there in the dark.   

And the oddity of it overwhelmed Grampa and he startled.  The barrel, old and warn from his years of rocking and smoking on it, became unhinged and… plop to the ground.

All for a comic book shop.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Civil War

This is the year 2011.  150 years ago, many of our ancestors fought in the Civil War.  It is difficult to imagine that a mere 150 years ago, our country fought itself in a most UN-civil way.  But in pondering the mess of it all, I began to wonder if any of my ancestors crossed paths.  In order to analyze this, I opened a handy-dandy Excel spreadsheet and put three ancestors across the top- one of my mom’s, one of my dad’s , and one of my husband’s.  Down the side, I put the months from January 1861 through September 1865.  And then I plotted their time in the War using regiment histories.  When I was done, I cross-referenced the data to find commonalities. 

Imagine my surprise to find out that in September 1861, my 3^rd great grandfather and my husband’s 2^nd great grandfather were both in St. Joseph, Missouri.  One came from Illinois and one from Ohio.  But both were in St. Joseph, Missouri guarding and operating the railroad.  And my husband and I met 124 years later in sunny California.  Did they nod at one another?  Shake hands?  Share a drink? 

Miles Price m. Emaline Markham	Kilbourne Smith m. Martha Perry
Harriet Price m. William Conner	Luella Smith m. Stephen Fisher
Thomas Conner m. Anna Konst	Kilbourne Fisher m. Neva Koschina
Pierre Conner m. Signa Felt	Kilbourne Fisher m. Millicent Jarone
Harry Conner m. Marilyn Badgley	Marc Mascot m. Deborah Conner
Deborah Conner m. Marc Mascot

The very next month, my husband’s same grandfather and my 2^nd great grandfather on my other side marched together to Springfield, Missouri.  Did they walk near one another?  Did they complain to one another about the terrain?  Did they tell jokes to pass the time?

John Shelton m. Laura Wilkinson	Kilbourne Smith m. Martha Perry
Cora Shelton m. Myra Hulse	Luella Smith m. Stephen Fisher
Ethyl Shelton m. Charles Badgley	Kilbourne Fisher m. Neva Koschina
Marilyn Badgley m. Harry Conner	Kilbourne Fisher m. Millicent Jarone
Deborah Conner m. Marc Mascot	Marc Mascot m. Deborah Conner

A couple of years later, in September of 1863, my parents’ ancestors met up and actually fought together in the Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia.  Considering that this battle was a loss to the Union and had the second highest number of casualties in the war, it’s amazing that my two grandfathers survived, returned to their homes in Indiana and Illinois and raised children who would eventual raise the children who would raise the children who would raise me.

Miles Price m. Emaline Markham	John Shelton m. Laura Wilkinson
Harriet Price m. William Conner	Cora Shelton m. Myra Hulse
Thomas Conner m. Anna Konst	Ethyl Shelton m. Charles Badgley
Pierre Conner m. Signa Felt	Marilyn Badgley m. Harry Conner
Harry Conner m. Marilyn Badgley	Deborah Conner m. Marc Mascot
Deborah Conner m. Marc Mascot

Finally, toward the end of the war in June of 1865, both Miles Price and Kilbourne Smith were together again in Nashville, TN.  Did they perhaps remember one another from their time on the St. Joseph Railroad?  Did they greet each other with smiles and joy (and perhaps surprise) that each managed to make it out of the War alive?  Did they toast to the end?

If I could, I think I’d want to have dinner with these three someday.  I’d like to hear their war stories and get a chance to thank all of them for fighting for the country we have now.  And for letting Marc and I exist.

Let me count the ways...

Dear In-law Great, Great, Great Grandfather Smith,

I am putting you on my list of people I hope to have dinner with one day in heaven, or wherever it is we go. I really, though, have only one question for you: How did you REALLY spell your first name?

Was it Kilbourne, Kilbourn, Cilburn, Cilborn, Kilburn, Kiburn, Kilorn, Kilbouen, or Killborn? Because I have now found you listed each of these ways. Numerous times. I thought your unique first name would make you easier to research, but honestly, searching for every spelling possible is just about IMpossible.

Sincerely,
Me